Centene (CNC) Reports Q1 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Centene (CNC) reported $46.62 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 15.4%. EPS of $2.90 for the same period compares to $2.26 a year ago.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $43.47 billion, representing a surprise of +7.24%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +22.88%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.36.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.Here is how Centene performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Total Medical Health (Benefits) loss Ratios -Total Ratio (HBR): 87.1% versus 87.9% estimated by five analysts on average. Membership Medicaid - High Acuity Medicaid: 1.59 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of 1.59 million. Membership by line of business - Medicaid: 12.96 million compared to the 12.94 million average estimate based on three analysts. SG&A Expense Ratio: 7.9% versus 8.4% estimated by three analysts on average. Revenues- Premium and service revenues: $42.49 billion versus $40.12 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +16.9% change. Revenues- Premium: $41.71 billion compared to the $39.35 billion average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +17.4% year over year. Revenues- Service: $777 million versus $768.54 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -3.8% change. Revenues- Premium tax: $4.13 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $3.52 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +1.5%. Revenues- Premium and service revenues- Commercial: $10.15 billion compared to the $9.04 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +30.9% year over year. Revenues- Premium and service revenues- Medicare: $8.76 billion versus $8.54 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +47.6% change. Revenues- Premium and service revenues- Medicaid: $22.30 billion compared to the $21.45 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.9% year over year. Revenues- Premium and service revenues- Other: $1.28 billion versus $1.22 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.6% change. View all Key Company Metrics for Centene here>>>Shares of Centene have returned +2.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -4.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and SellsWe're not kidding.Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent.Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators,and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone.See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Centene Corporation (CNC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks